AntiHero
by Jaden Lariya
Summary: The Chosen Hero of Farore is born, and with him, so is the anti-Hero. This is the story of his childhood at the hands of the legendary King of Evil. R&R. T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**See Author's Note at end.**

** Disclaimer: Legend of Zelda will be mine when Gorons grow wings and learn to fly. In other words, I don't own it.**

It is dawn, and the sun is just peeking over the horizon. A baby's squalls can be heard deep in the woods. The sounds originated from a small thatched hut, snuggled up in a tree.

The Gerudo Thief King saw all of this, peering into a clear enchanted pool of water. Ganondorf bent closer and the image focused in on the babe's left hand. The golden symbol of the Triforce glowed on its pale back. The King chuckled, a festering, evil sound.

"It seems that the Hero has been born," he rumbled. "And every Hero needs an anti-Hero."

The huge Gerudo swept to a raised dais and snatched the dagger lying on the pedestal that held his seeing-water. He stepped up to the dais and flung his arms wide. The Triforce on the back of his hand glowed gold, pulsing with power.

"Din," he boomed, his voice echoing in the underground cavern. "I give this offering to you, o' Goddess of Power and Fire! Let me create this vessel of your power and will!"

Ganondorf then took the dagger and sliced open his own thumb, splattering the blood across the cold marble. He then bowed his head and began speaking in ancient Hylian.

"I call upon the forces of Power and Darkness to do my will." Power swirled around him in an awful fiery cloud.

"Take the Darkest thoughts, the worst actions, and the most Evil will from the Chosen Hero of Farore and bring them to me." Blackened smoke joined the Power in a miniature tornado around the Gerudo.

"Now, Power, give this Darkness, this Evil, human form to be able to fight the Hero in your stead. Give him bloodlust, give him hate, and give him envy. Make him; mold him into a weapon of Death. A weapon for the Death of the Chosen Hero."

The storm of Power and Darkness left the Kind of Evil and drifted to the center of the dais, where the blood was thickest. Suddenly, it collapsed in on itself, condensing into a clump of blackness. It began shaping itself into a human-like figure. Then, in a flash of black, the Darkness and Power dissipated. It left a small bundle on the dais. The Gerudo King stooped and picked up the bundle, which revealed itself to be a baby. It was utterly silent as Ganondorf looked it up and down. A boy, with charcoal- black skin and ashy hair. He met his creator's stare with a highly intelligent and angry glare. Ganon chuckled and looked into the baby's crimson eyes.

"Welcome the world, Anti-Hero."

**A/N: YAY for no more writer's block! So, as usual, I am on my hands and knees begging for reviews. ~Gets up of hands and knees~ So, now that that's done, I was wondering if I should make this into a multi chapter fic describing Dark Link's childhood at the hands of Ganondorf. Please leave your answer in a review! Thank you! (Merci beaucoup!) **


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note at end of chapter!**

"Awaken, my son."

Crimson eyes blinked sleepily, and one charcoal hand rose to protect them against the bright light issuing from the open door.

"Father?" the crimson-eyed child spoke softly, his voice innocent.

"Get dressed, today we begin your training," the hulking man in the doorway said. "Come quickly, Darking."

The young boy nodded eagerly and jumped out of bed. He rushed around the little stone room, lighting the torches that sat in scones mounted on the walls. Once done, he hurried to the chest his Gerudo father had given him the day before. Upon opening it, he found a dark grey tunic, lighter-colored leggings, and a sock-like hat the same color as the tunic. Tucked into a corner of the chest was a pair of black leather boots and a short sword. The small blade called to him, tantalizing Darking with ideas of what lay beyond the black and silver sheathe.

Darking went for the sword first. He grabbed it and drew it from its scabbard. The tempered steel blade glimmered in the torchlight and the seven-year old gaped in wonder. Never in his life had he seen something so beautiful. Not even his father's blade had looked like this. Darking absently wondered what the blade would look like slicked with warm, wet blood. He shook himself. Where had that thought come from? Slightly disturbed, he sheathed the sword and put in on his bed. Darking put the creepy thought out of his mind and donned the clothes in the chest. Once dressed, he slipped on the boots and belted the sword across his back.

The boy was careful to close his door behind him before barreling off down the hall. He dodged furniture and servants, muttering "'scuse me" and "sorry" whenever he was unlucky enough to run into one. Some of the bolder servants murmured "like a bat outta Hell, he is" to their companions. Darking didn't care, he was too excited. He even skipped breakfast in his hurry to meet his father. He burst into his father's study, the door banging back against the wall with enough force to dent it. Darking didn't even notice; he was panting and his eyes were wide with anticipation.

"I'm ready, Father, I'm ready for you to teach me!" the little boy gushed.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Eager, I see. Well, we won't get anywhere in you don't know your blade." He gestured to Darking. "Draw it," he said, suddenly harsh. Darking flinched, but did as he was asked. He held the blade firmly in his right hand, gripping the hilt tightly.

Ganon instructed Darking in the anatomy of a sword and how to use every part to his advantage. The Gerudo went on to explain the finesse needed to have any success in his endeavors. Stance after stance. Slash after slash. All throughout, the Gerudo King interjected with curt pointers and tips. "Loosen your grip." "Raise your arm." Darking obeyed it all, soaking in the knowledge. He knew all this would come into practical use one day. Again, he had a vision of his blade, bathed in blood and glowing red. The boy paused mid-slash, uncertain. Ganon noticed his confusion and stood.

"That is enough for today. We will continue again tomorrow. You did well today, my son. A true natural, you are," he said, patting the boy's shoulder before giving him a gentle push towards the door, dismissing him. The old oaken door thudded shut behind him and Ganondorf allowed himself a menacing grin.

"The awakening has begun. And now the process moves forward…."

**A/N: Alright, it's done! Chapter two of Anti-Hero! And so the tale of Dark Link's childhood begins! Love it? Hate it? Tell me in a review, just no flames! Merci! (Thank you!)**

**~Phantom**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, I finally got around to writing the next chapter of Anti-Hero. Sorry for the wait, the few of you who read this thing. Thank you to Twilit Guardian, who gave me a lot of support and the other couple AHMAZING people who reviewed. And so on with the story, and READ AND REVIEW! You get an Internet sweet of your choice!**

"Up, boy."

"No way in hell, I'm not going back to that torture chamber," the lump on the bed shifted and burrowed further in. The man in the doorway stormed to the bed and tore the blankets off his son.

"NOW, Darking!" he snapped, eyes blazing. The boy on the bed groaned and sat up. He scratched the back of his head and glared at the man.

"No, _Father_," he spat out the words. "I will not."

Darking flinched but made no noise as his father backhanded him across the head.

"You will not speak to me that way. You will come when called and come quietly," Ganondorf snarled, yanking Darking up by the hair and tossing him to the floor. Before walking out, the Gerudo paused by the door.

"Get ready." And he left. Darking swore under his breath and hauled himself to his feet. _Yea, there are going to be bruises tomorrow_, he thought to himself, poking a few sore spots. With a huff, the red-eyed teenager stalked over to his trunk and flung back the lid. Snatching out his clothing, he remembered the day Ganon had given this to him. As a little kid, he'd been ecstatic. Now he dreaded opening this chest and facing morning. Morning signaled another day in the castle, another day working his ass off or getting his ass kicked for a goal only his supposed father knew. Darking sighed again and strapped his long sword across is back. He left and shut the door to his room behind him.

"Din help me. Have Ganondork take it easy on me today," he muttered. As he slouched down the corridor, the servants parted before him like the Red Sea, eyeing him as if he were diseased. Glaring around at them, he made his slow way to what Ganondorf had dubbed the "training arena". To Darking, it was his own little personal torture chamber.

The ash-haired boy unsheathed his sword as he approached the Gerudo King. Darking had a vision of the hulking man lying in a pool of his own blood. He was beaten and slashed, obviously dead. Crimson streaks decorated the stone walls. Darking blinked and the vision faded; he was still unnerved by the visions of death that were often shown to him. Ganon noticed his pause and grinned. It made the anti-hero want to make the vision come true. The King of Evil beckoned to Darking, the grin still on his face.

"Come, my son, let me show you the goal we have been working towards all these years," he rumbled, and he swept from the room. Darking sheathed his sword and followed.

Ganon led the grumpy teenager to a door set into the wall. It was old granite with runes inscribed on its surface. They glowed softly when Ganondorf passed his hand over them before pushing the door open. He gestured Darking to enter. Darking paused inside the room, looking around. Something was familiar about this place; he just couldn't put his finger on it. He was unable to ponder this however, because Ganon had walked in, urging the anti-hero to follow. Darking did so, albeit reluctantly. He came to a halt next to a basin of cool, clear water. Ganon stepped up to the basin and put his hands over it. A red glow emanated from them and a picture appeared on the water's surface. Curiosity piqued, Darking moved closer, peering in. A fairly average scene greeted his eyes. A young man, about his own age, rode through a field on a chestnut mare. He wore a forest green tunic and cream breeches. Brown leather boots adorned his feet and a sock-hat the same shade as his tunic covered a mop of light blond hair. The image zoomed in on the man's face. Clear blue eyes stared out of the light tan face. Darking saw nothing more as a red haze clouded his vision. He stumbled back, clutching his head. His hat fell off and he tore at his hair. His head felt like someone had cleaved it with a very heavy and very sharp blade. It had brought him to his knees.

"Kill, must… kill him," Darking muttered mumbled, before screaming out, his red eyes blazing like fire. Feeling someone looming over him, Darking looked up. There stood the man from the scene. He towered over Darking, look upon him with contemp. Darking roared, drawing his sword and lunging at the blond man. He blocked easily with his own blade and shoved Darking back. He fell onto his back and the light man kicked him in the head. Darking's vision swam and that last thing he saw before was Ganondorf smirking down at him and saying, "It is almost time for him to meet the Chosen Hero of Farore."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Sorry for the insanely long wait on this chapter. I had a lot of stuff going on over here on my side of the computer, and I kind of lost my drive for this story. But, thanks to the wonderful Twilit Guardian, I am back on track! Hopefully… **

Darking sighed, kicking at the scrawny dead tree in front of him. The tree and the little island he was standing on were the only things decorating his prison. That, and the giant stone doors that sealed him in there, of course.

It was a strange series of events that led to his imprisonment here in the Water Temple. His pseudo-father, the Gerudo king Ganondorf, had found him one dismal morning. Darking had been happily hacking up a trainging dummy when his "father" had called for him.

"The Chosen Hero of Farore is nearing the Water Temple. It is time for you to take up residence there," Ganon had said. Darking was skeptical when Ganon mentioned that his son would not need anything. No food, no water. Just the clothes on his back, his sword, and his shield. Darking had complied, thinking that he hadn't been eating much these days, anyway. The ancient Gerudo had saddled up his black stallion, and Darking took the speckled gray mare he was fond of. The two had ridden hard for an entire day before Ganon allowed the horses to slow and eventually stop.

Darking stayed awake, perched on a rock while his father seemed to sleep. As he scanned the desert around him, the scene suddenly changed. The sand was splashed with red, as was the rock he sat on. The ravaged bodies of the two horses were laid out, thick blood soaking into the sand. The once-proud head of the Gerudo King himself sat on the ground by Darking's foot. Dried blood crusted around the place where the neck had been severed from the body, which was lying spread-eagle in front of Darking. The anti-hero blinked and the scene disappeared, the cool desert night returning. Darking released a long breath, knock his hat off and running clammy hands through his hair. He rested his head between his knees and closed his eyes.

"Why?" Darking asked, voice raspy. As usual, only the wind answered.

The next morning, the Gerudo King awoke to find Darking taking himself through his paces, a scowl on his face. Ganon allowed himself a small grin, thinking, _I have created and raised him well. He is a true killer now. _

Darking, sensing his father's hard gaze, stopped and turned.

"Time to go?" he inquired. Ganon nodded, mounting the stallion and spurring it into a gallop, not waiting for Darking. The red-eyed man sighed and followed suit. He soon pulled alongside Ganon. Another bloody scene veiled his vision, and he was sorely tempted to draw his sword and relieve Ganon of his head, just to save himself some trouble. The huge Gerudo glanced over with a maniacal grin.

"Do you hate me?" he asked. "Want to kill me?" Darking answered with silence. Ganondorf nodded in satisfaction.

"Good, that will serve you well in the time to come," he rumbled.

The horses pulled to a sudden halt as the ground fell away to form a cliff. The sheer face dropped into crystal clear water, sparkling blue in the sun. Graceful Zoras dove through the pool and lounged on the cut marble banks. It was the most beautiful thing Darking had ever seen. And he had the inexplicable urge to destroy it all. Darking shook his head as Ganondorf dismounted and marched to the edge of the cliff. He threw his arms wide to encompass the entire area.

"Welcome to the Zora's Domain," he boomed. "Now, ravage it."

Darking's eyes widened and he shook his head violently. Ganon's own eyes narrowed in anger.

"I command you, in the name of Din's Power and the Hero's Darkness, destroy Zora's Domain!"

Darking shuddered, then, like the flip of a switch, he dismounted and padded over. His eyes glowed red and a small predatory smile graced his lips.

"And the Royals?" he asked, voice soft.

Ganon chuckled darkly. "No, I will deal with them. You just have to lead the monsters in, destroy the Domain, and go to the central chamber of the Temple."

Darking nodded, then leaped from the cliff, executing a perfect swan dive into the deep water. The Zora's all froze, staring as Darking swam to the banks and heaved himself out of the water. A single Zora warrior hurried over to Darking, placing a webbed hand on his shoulder.

"Are you alright, young one? That was a long fall," he said, concern in his voice.

Darking shook his head, water droplets flying from his soaking hair. His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword as he straightened up.

"No, no I am not. You are still alive," he murmured calmly. The Zora's head fell to the ground with a wet thud. The body stayed standing for a moments spewing crimson blood into the water. Then it fell, and all hell broke loose. Zoras screamed, leaping into the water to escape. Mothers grabbed their children and made for the Water Temple. Warriors grabbed their weapons and went after Darking. The anti-hero sliced through all of them like butter. A trail of dead bodies and bloodstains followed him as he entered the Water Temple.

Bloodlust overpowered him. Nothing phased him. Not even the frightened faces of Zora children. He wasn't even thinking as a dark haze veiled his vision. Everything became automatic. Stab, thrust, side-step, slash, pivot, dash, pause, parry, kill. Kill, kill, kill, KILL, KILL, KILL, **KILL! **Freeze.

Darking blinked back into consciousness, gazing around, foggy-eyed.

_Red… Blood… Bodies… Dead… Wait. WHAT?_

Darking's mind cleared as he spun around. Red eyes widened in horror. Death hung heavy in the room. Darking stumbled back, shaking his head.

"No. I didn't do this… I couldn't have," he stuttered.

"But you did, my son," Darking whipped around in fear at the low rumble of Ganon's voice. His expression rapidly morphed from fear and horror to rage and pure hatred.

"YOU! You made me do this, you bastard! They were INNOCENT! You murderer!" Darking screamed, grasping his sword and charging at Ganon. A resounding clang echoed around the chamber as his blade met Ganon's.

A horrible smile spread across the Gerudo's face. "Well done, Darking. You are finally able to kill the Chosen Hero," he shoved Darking off him and sheathed his own sword. "Now," he boomed, pointing to a hulking stone doorway. "Go. That is where you will meet the Hero."

Darking looked up dejectedly at Ganondorf. Seeing no empathy (not that he expected any), he plodded to the door. Turning back to Ganon, Darking's eyes filled with contempt. "May the Hero dance on your grave."

And with that, he padded into the prison, a single tear falling from his eye as the door crashed shut behind him.

Darking flinched, scrubbing away the tears pooling in his eyes. The doors that had remained closed for so long swung open. A silhouette accompanied by a small orb, glowing pale blue. Darking stood with a sigh. His time to fight had come.

_He will leave here alive. I'll leave here free._


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Alright, final chapter here! This was far too drawn out and put-off, but it's finally done! I managed to bully the muses into getting down to work. A beg pardon for the shortness, but quality better than quantity, and all that! And a big hug-full thank you to Twilit Guardian for all the support! She did more than she thinks!**

**Jaden: thank god it's over…. I've been working at this thing since it started…**

**Loki: HAH! I didn't have to! *raspberry***

**Ayar: … Really? Seriously?**

**Me: SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU! Thank you. Now, my lovely readers enjoy the final chapter of Anti-Hero!**

The door swung slowly open, making Darking look up. His eyes held no anger, only forlorn resignation. He stood, backing away until he faded into the mist filling the chamber. The green-clad figure warily padded into the room, bright blue eyes peering around. Once the Hero made it to the scraggly tree, Darking pounced. With a roar, the Anti-Hero drew his black blade and charged at the Hero, making the man turn and draw the Master Sword. Steel clanged against steel as the two men locked blades and eyes.

"You've come, Hero." Darking's voice was harsh from lack of use. He shoved the Hero back as the man's eyes widened in shock. "You are Link, the Chosen Hero of Farore. It is your job to extinguish the Evil," Darking sighed, looking sadly at the Hero quickly before bowing his head. "Please, I wish this to be an honorable duel. It is your job to kill me, and my job to fight back. All I ask is that you make it swift." Link looked uncomfortable, shifting from foot to foot. The blue light beside his head jingled, seeming to speak to the Hero. Link shook his head. He stepped forward, sword held out in front of him.

"As you wish."

And the duel began.

Darking began, dashing at Link and swinging his blade horizontally at the Hero. The light man jumped back, turning on his toe and parrying. A clawshot came out, latching onto Darking's shield and pulling him close. Link slashed, steel digging painfully into Darking's side. The Anti-Hero hauled himself off the blade, inflicting a slash on Link's sword arm. Both men stumbled back, breathing hard. A moment's pause, and they charged again.

Loud clashing rang through the room as sword met sword and shield met shield. The little blue fairy called out instructions, which Link quickly followed. Darking knew he was at a disadvantage. He had no fairy help, and he had nothing to live for. Up until this moment, Darking only lived to live, to carry out Ganondorf's will. Link had everything at stake. He had his home, Hyrule, and his love, Zelda. He was self-obligated to protect these things; they were the reason he lived. He had left his home, Darking knew, to banish the Evil and save Hyrule. Darking was a part of the darkness that needed to be banished. And, if he was being honest with himself, he wanted to be whole again. During the time he was trapped in the Water Temple, Darking had thought long and hard about his origins. He discovered that he did remember his "birth". He remembered being ripped from the light he inhabited and forced into another form. Now, all Darking lived for is to die, so he could be part of a whole person again.

Darking was jolted back into the present when a ferocious blow knocked his sword out of his hand. He stood, swaying slightly, as Link readied his sword for the killing blow. To the Anti-Hero's shock, Link's eyes shone with unshed tears.

"Why are you crying for me?" he asked in confusion. "I am nothing to cry over."

Link shook his head. "I feel like this was not meant to happen." His voice was surprisingly soft. "I feel as if you and I were never meant to fight like this."

Darking chuckled. "Don't worry, Hero. All will become clear." His eyes became pleading. "Please, let me leave this cursed place. I was not meant to stay here."

Link nodded, his still-wet eyes glowing with resolve. Taking a deep breath, the Hero charged, his sword plunging into Darking's chest. The blade slid cleanly through the ribs, piercing the heart. Darking gasped in pain, then, his face softened.

"Thank you, my brother."

Then, the Chosen Darkness, the Anti-Hero, breathed his last breath and flowed back into the Light of the Chosen Hero of Farore.


End file.
